French Laundry, Nobu, Mark's in Houston is not the fanciest restaurant but one of my favorites, Foodheads in Austin is my absolute favorite lunch spot, Zoot featured the best tasting menu I've experienced in Austin thus far so I have to give them props. Honorable mention: Hong Kong Food Street in Chinatown Houston, Salt lick, Sam Bo Jung (childhood memories), more to come...

My most tattered cookbooks:

my grandmother's joy of cooking which I refused to take with me to college (it would most definitely be destroyed)